Bedding & floating

[Sisco]

Working on a Mauser sporter, I want to free float the barrel and glass bed the action. Don't know how much all this will affect the accuracy, I just want to do it so I can say that I did!

I've heard two different approaches to free-floating, one is to relieve the barrel channel of material using sandpaper and mandrel. The other method I was told about was just to shim under the recoil lug.

Which job should be done first, the bedding or the floating? Or does it matter?

 

[Joe Portale]

I generally bed the receiver first. This way when the barrel channel is releived the receiver is at its final height. In general, you can't have enough barrel float, but don't go crazy. A good place to aim for is when you can pass a folded dollar bill underneath the barrel. That is the rule of thumb that I have followed and so far it has served me well.

I remove the excess stock material with a rasp and sandpaper. I have never tried the shim trick because over time it may allow movement in the receiver as the shim wears IMHO.